835 
M248 


BANCROFT 
LIBRARY 

•o- 

THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


From 

THE  BEIXMAN 
Minneapolis 

leeuee  of  April  1  and  April  8,  1916, 
Vol.  20,  noe.  507  and  508. 


(coTirtesy  of  Joel  E. 


April  1,  1916 


THE    BELLMAN 


378 


WHEN  THE  MORMONS  DWELT  AMONG  US:  I 

EUDOCIA  BALDWIN/MARSH 


At  this  time,  all  the  world  knows  who  and  what 
manner  of  people  the  Mormons  are,  and  I  write,  not  to 
give  a  detailed  account  of  their  history  as  a  sect,  but 
merely  to  relate  a  few  incidents  of  my  own  experience, 
and  to  state  some  facts  of  which  I  have  personal  knowl- 
edge. For  a  term  of  years,  these  people  were  our  close 
neighbors  in  the  state  of  Illinois.  I  saw  them  welcomed, 
and  I  witnessed  in  turn  their  growth  and  prosperity,  and 
their  downfall  and  expulsion  from  the  state. 

In  1886,  the  Mormons  came  to  Hancock  County  in 
a  very  sorry  plight.  According  to  their  own  tale,  they 
were  fugitives  for  righteousness'  sake,  driven  from  Mis- 
souri by  the  religious  intolerance  of  their  neighbors. 
They  were  in  utter  destitution,  and  their  misery  was 
enhanced  by  the  fact  that  the  flight  from  their  homes  was 
in  the  dead  of  winter. 

They  crossed  the  Mississippi 
Hivt-r  lit  Qiiincy.  where  they 
were  trentnl  with  great  kind- 
ness, and  given  food,  shelter, 
and  raiment.  The  citizens  of 
Quincy  even  held  a  public 
meeting  and  passed  resolutions 
denouncing  the  "border  ruf- 
fians of  Missouri"  for  so  cruel- 
ly misusing  a  godly  people. 
These  "ruffians"  were  too  fnr 
removed  to  present  their  si<lc 
of  the  case. 

For  some  time  the  "Saints," 
as  the  Mormons  styled  them- 
selves, succeeded  in  posing  as 
martvrs.  Many  of  them  dis- 
persed throughout  the  county, 
and  everywhere  they  received 
sympathy,  kind  treatment,  and 
employment.  Both  their  need 
and  their  numbers  made  them 
willing  to  work  for  very  low 
wages.  This  was  a  boon  in- 
deed to  the  overworked  farm- 
ers, who  were  devoutly  thank- 
ful to  obtain  this  unexpected 
help  in  their  strenuous  life. 
The  younger  women,  both  mar- 
ried and  single,  went  out  as 
-'  r\  ints,  and,  with  but  few  ex- 
ceptions, they  were  faithful 
and  efficient. 

Apparently,  they  were  a 
serious,  sober-minded  people, 
desirous  of  living  up  to  their 
name  of  "Latter  Day  Saints." 
Their  demeanor  was  very  sanc- 
timonious, and  in  many  cases  I 
think  the  sanctity  was  not  all 
•Named. 

When  thrse  people  first  came 
among  us,  Joseph  Smith  was  in 
a  Missouri  jail.  Early  in  the 
spring,  he  escaped — it  was 
afterwards  said  that  the  au- 
thorities connived  at  his  escape 
in  order  to  be  rid  of  him.  He 


joined  his  flock,  and  was  earnestly  solicited  by  the  people 
on  both  sides  of  the  river  to  locate  his  projected  city 
with  them. 

After  much  deliberation,  he  chose  the  little  village 
of  Commerce,  on  the  east  bank,  as  the  site  for  the  future 
city  of  Nauvoo.  A  call  was  sent  to  all  the  dispersed 
faithful  to  come  and  build  up  the  new  Zion.  The  vacant 
cabins  throughout  Hancock  and  the  adjoining  counties, 
of  which  they  had  taken  possession,  were  again  deserted, 
and  the  roads  leading  to  Commerce  were  thronged.  For 
not  only  the  Mormons  themselves  came  at  Smith's  bid- 
ding, but  their  gentile  converts  as  well. 

The  farmers  living  in  the  vicinity  of  Commerce  vied 
with  each  other  in  their  haste  to  sell  their  land  to  the 
Mormons  for  town  lots.  Smith  ever  promised  lordly 


The  "Million  and  a  Hair  Tnnplr  at  Nauvoo 


From    nn   old    print 


874 


THE    BELLMAN 


April  1,  1916 


price*,  but  if,  when  the  day  of  reckoning  came,  he  found 
payment  inconvenient,  an  alleged  "revelation,"  and  a 
Thin  faith  the  Lord,"  settled  the  claim  forever.  Some 
of  these  duped  landowner*  joined  their  fortune*  with 
those  of  the  Mormons,  not  because  they  were  converted 
to  the  Mormon  belief,  but  because,  being  intelligent  men, 
they  saw  an  opportunity  to  gain  power  and  influence. 
Thus  the  money  they  did  not  get  for  their  land  advanced 
their  worldly  position,  for  they,  and  their  descendants, 
have  always  been  leader*  and  dictator*  among  the  Saint*. 

During  the  palmy  day*  of  their  Missouri  sojourn,  the 
Mormons  had  sent  many  teachers  abroad.  Soon  after 
Nauvoo  was  founded,  the  little  colony  began  to  reap  the 
fruit*  of  the  sealous  labors  of  these  missionaries.  Great 
numbers  of  converts  came  from  England.  Some  were 
unskilled  and  ignorant,  ill-fitted  to  take  care  of  them- 
selves in  a  strange  country,  but  many  were  skilled  work- 
er* in  different  craft*.  Scotland  and  Wale*  also  sent 
their  quota,  for  these  countries,  too,  had  been  thoroughly 
canvassed  by  the  Mormon*.  They  had  described,  in 
mo*t  glowing  terms,  this  new  country.  According  to 
them,  tropical  tree*  of  all  kind*  bordered  the  street*  of 
Nauvoo,  and  the  fruit  could  be  gathered  without  money 
and  without  price;  although,  for  that  matter,  they  de- 
clared that  both  gold  and  silver  Srere  to  be  had  for  the 
asking.  Some  of  these  deluded  people  had  believed 
that,  in  truth,  they  were  coming  to  the  New  Jerusalem, 
where  living  waters  flowed  by  the  tree  of  life. 

The  reality  was  too  great  a  shock  for  many.  The 
diseases  common  in  a  new  country  claimed  some;  priva- 
tion took  it*  toll ;  others  succumbed  to  homesickness ;  and 
still  others  sought  the  gentiles,  and  tried  to  forget  that 
they  had  been  Mormon  dupes.  But  the  "Saint*"  kept 
their  hold  on  the  greater  number,  and,  in  time,  broke 
them  in  to  the  weary  work  of  giving  tithe*  of  time  and 
money  to  build  the  city  and  the  "Temple." 

The  politicians  soon  saw  in  this  fast-growing  city  a 
condition  of  affairs  worth  looking  into.  It  was  evident 
that  Smith  would  control  the  vote  of  his  people;  which 
would  be  the  party  so  fortunate  as  to  control  Smith? 
Their  ardent  desire  to  obtain  his  favor  and  support  led 
the  leaders  of  both  parties  to  visit  him  frequently  at  his 
home,  the  "Mansion  House."  There  they  paid  the  exor- 
bitant prices  he  charged  for  entertainment,  laughed  at 
his  coarse  jokes  and  stories,  and  flattered  his  self-conceit 
in  every  possible  way.  Smith,  despite  his  immense  con- 
ceit, was  astute,  and  treated  all  alike.  Naturally,  he 
was  much  elated  at  this  turn  in  the  tide  of  his  affairs; 
from  poverty  and  a  Missouri  prison,  he  was  being  rap- 
idly borne  to  wealth  and  power. 

In  September,  1899,  the  city  was  definitely  laid  out, 
and  the  name  changed  from  Commerce  to  Nauvoo.  The 
following  winter,  it  was  granted  many  unusual  privileges 
by  the  legislature.  With  others  not  so  well  known, 
Stephen  A.  Douglas  and  Sidney  H.  Little  pushed  the 
act  granting  Nauvoo  its  charter.  This  provided  for  a 
city,  a  university,  and  a  "Military  Legion,"  represented, 
respectively,  by  a  city  council,  a  board  of  trustees,  and 
a  court-martial.  Each  of  these  bodies  was  invested  with 
legislative,  judicial,  and  executive  powers;  that  is,  they 
were  given  the  right  "to  enact,  establish,  ordain,  and 
execute  all  laws  and  ordinance*  not  repugnant  to  the 
constitution  of  this  state  or  of  the  United  States." 

No  proviso  appears  in  the  act  guarding  against  in- 
fringement of  the  laws  of  the  state  or  of  the  United 
States.  That  proviso,  usual  in  charters,  may  or  may 
not  have  been  purposely  omitted,  but  an  examination  of 
all  other  charter*  granted  at  this  same  session  will  show 
that  in  each  was  a  proviso  providing  against  infraction 
of  the  law*  a*  well  a*  the  constitution.  It  is  an  obvious 


fact  that,  in  *o  passing  the  bill,  the  judiciary  committee, 
both  homes  of  the  legislature,  and  the  governor  who 
signed  the  bill  omitted  the  performance  of  their  plain 
duty. 

The  "Military  Legion"  was  made  independent  of  the 
rest  of  the  military  of  the  state.  The  title  of  the  com- 
manding officer,  "Lieutenant-General,"  was  unknown 
elsewhere  in  state  or  nation.  Any  citixen  of  the  county 
was  at  liberty  to  join,  the  natural  sequence  being  that 
all  the  "Faithful"  were  at  once  enrolled. 

With  such  an  auspicious  beginning,  no  wonder  Smith 
wa*  puffed  up  with  pride  and  arrogance,  and  soon  pro- 
claimed that  "the  whole  earth,  together  with  the  posses- 
sions of  the  gentiles,  will  be  brought  under  the  sway  of 
the  Saints." 

By  1842,  the  Mormon  population  of  Hancock  County 
was  sixteen  thousand.  About  that  time  Henry  Caswell, 
an  English  gentleman,  visited  the  colony,  and  wrote  con- 
cerning the  "Prophet":  "I  had  the  honour  of  an  interview 
with  the  Prophet.  He  is  coarse  and  plebeian  in  aspect; 
his  countenance  exhibits  a  mixture  of  the  knave  and  the 
clown;  on  one  finger  of  his  large,  fat  hand,  he  wears 
a  massive  gold  ring;  I  could  not  observe  his  eyes,  for 
he  was  deficient  in  that  open,  staid,  fixed  look  which 
characterises  an  honest  man.  .  .  .  The  Mormon  sys- 
tem, mad  as  it  is,  has  method  in  its  madness.  Many 
shrewd  minds  are  at  work  on  its  maintenance  and  propa- 
gation, and  whatever  may  befall  its  organizers,  it  has,  in 
itself,  the  elements  of  increase  and  endurance."  It  seems 
to  me  these  last  words  were  prophetic,  for  though,  a  very 
few  years  later,  a  sudden  and  violent  death  befell  its 
founders,  the  system  certainly  both  endured  and  in- 
creased. 

In  1841  I  first  saw  the  Mormon  leader*.  A  young 
lawyer  of  Carthage  met  an  untimely  death  by  accident, 
and  all  the  church  dignitaries  attended  the  funeral.  The 
long  procession  passed  rear  my  father's  home,  and  for 
the  first  time  I  saw  the  men  so  much  talked  about.  The 
Smiths  were  large  men,  with  coarse,  heavy  features; 
Joseph,  in  particular,  was  a  stupid,  sleepy-looking  man, 
whose  face  held  no  hint  of  intellect  or  asceticism,  such 
as  one  would  naturally  expect  to  find  expressed  on  the 
face  of  a  prophet  They  were  dressed  in  the  uniform 
of  the  "Legion,"  which  had  an  extraordinarily  high  col- 
lar. Riding,  as  they  did,  in  the  high-built  buggies  of 
that  day,  they  looked  gigantic. 

During  this  time  of  Mormon  prosperity,  while  Nau- 
voo was  rapidly  filling  with  people  from  all  parts  of  the 
world,  many  excursions  and  pleasure  parties  were  ar- 
ranged to  visit  the  city.  On  one  occasion,  some  members 
of  our  family  joined  such  a  party  and  took  me  with 
them.  We  dined  at  Smith's  large  hotel,  the  "Mansion 
House."  After  dinner  we  were  told  that  for  a  small 
sum  we  could  view  some  Egyptian  mummies  that  were 
on  exhibition  in  an  adjoining  room.  We  all  went  in, 
and  found  the  mummies  presided  over  by  Smith's  mother, 
a  trim-looking  old  woman,  dressed  in  a  black  silk  gown, 
with  a  white  apron  and  cap. 

With  a  long  wand,  she  pointed  out  to  us  the  supposed 
Pharaoh  of  the  Exodus  himself,  his  wife,  and  his  daugh- 
ter*. Then  followed  a  detailed  account  of  the  life  of 
each.  Upon  my  asking  her  how  she  had  obtained  all 
this  information,  she  replied  in  a  severely  virtuous  tone, 
in  a  manner  calculated  to  repress  all  further  doubt  and 
questioning,  "My  son  Joseph  recently  received  a  revela- 
tion from  the  Lord  regarding  these  people  and  their 
times.  He  told  it  all  to  me." 

We  saw  on  this  visit,  a*  often  afterward*,  the  "Elect 
Lady,"  a*  Smith  profanely  called  bis  first  wife.  She 
was  a  tall,  austere  woman,  gaunt  of  form,  and  very  plain 


April  1,  1916 


THE    BELLMAN 


of  feature,  but  said  to  be  of  sensible,  practical  character. 
Stately  and  solemn,  she  sometimes  appeared  in  public 
at  Smith's  high  functions,  or  dress  parade  affairs,  in  rich 
costumes  of  velvet,  with  her  hair  dres«ed  high  with 
plumes.  It  was  said  she  had  no  faith  in  her  husband 
as  a  prophet.  Certainly,  she  refused  later  to  leave  the 
hotel,  or  to  go  with  the  Mormons  to  Utah.  Long  after 
the  "Exodus,"  she  acted  as  landlady,  and  when,  after 
Smith's  death,  she  married  Mr.  Bidaman,  together  they 
kept  ih«  inn  to  the  end  of  their  days. 
""At  this  time  we  visited  the  "Temple."  The  interior 
was  not  finished,  but  the  exterior  was  certainly  of  very 
imposing  appearance.  Smith  claimed  its  cost  to  be  one 
and  a  half  million  dollars — surely  a  large  sum  to  wring 
from  the  poor  people  who  were  his  dupes.  They  gave 
not  only  the  work  of  every 
t.nth  day,  but  also  the  tenth 
of  all  their  earnings  from 
farms,  shops,  or  labor  of  any 
kind.  It  was  said  at  the 
time,  by  men  who  claimed  to 
know,  that  three  or  four 
hundred  thousand  dollars 
would  have  been  ample  for 
such  a  building — what  be- 
came of  the  residue  is  left  to 
conjecture. 

My  brother  had  viewed 
the  laying  of  the  cornerstone 
of  the  "Temple"  on  April  6, 
1811.  It  was  a  grand  affair, 
according  to  the  Nauvoo  pa- 
)>«  r.  "an  imposing  occasion." 
Smith,  in  his  gorgeous 
uniform  as  "Licutenant- 
f«i-neral"  of  the  "Legion," 
led  the  procession,  followed 
by  the  officers  and  their 
minor  satellites,  all  in  bril- 
liant uniforms.  Next  in  line 
were  many  ladies  in  costly 
npparel,  on  fine  horses. 
Then  came  the  Indians, 
from  the  reservation  across 
the  river,  led  by  old  Chief 
Keokuk,  whose  gigantic  stat- 
ure towered  above  his  dusky 
followers.  Smith  always 
showed  great  favor  to  the 
Indians.  Did  he  look  for- 
ward to  a  time  when  they 
might  be  valuable  allies? 

We  toiled  up  many  flights  of  stairs  to  the  very  top 
of  the  "Temple,"  where  we  were  rewarded  by  a  splendid 
view  of  the  city,  the  Mississippi  River  half  encircling 
it,  and  the  Indian  reservation  across  the  river  in 
Iowa.  Descending,  we  saw,  on  the  main  floor  of  the 
"Temple,"  the  "Braxen  Sea."  This  was  a  capacious 
layer  of  wood,  about  twenty  feet  square,  which  rested 
upon  the  backs  of  twelve  oxen,  also  of  wood,  but  finished 
to  resemble  stone.  Our  guide  assured  us  they  really 
were  stone,  but  I  saw  a  visitor  take  from  his  pocket  a 
penknife  and  stealthily  thrust  the  small,  sharp  blade  into 
one  of  the  great,  wide-homed  creatures. 

The  "revelation"  which  commanded  the  building  of 
the  "Temple"  gave  explicit  orders  also  for  the  erection 
of  a  fine  hotel,  in  which  certain  rooms  were  to  be  sacred 
to  Smith  and  his  family;  they  were  to  be  to  them  "a 
possession  forever."  This  building,  however,  was  not 
finished  before  the  "Exodus." 


Joseph  Smith,  the  "Prophet 
From   nn   nld    print 


About  this  time,  two  years  after  the  founding  of 
Nauvoo,  it  was  reported  that  Smith  had  received  a  "reve- 
lation" with  regard  to  the  taking  of  "spiritual  wives," 
and  that  these  "celestial  marriages"  had  been  enjoined. 
The  better  class  of  Mormons  strenuously  denied  that 
such  a  revelation  had  been  received,  but  Smith  circu- 
lated it  in  writing  among  a  few  of  the  chosen,  and  it 
was  afterwards  openly  espoused  at  Salt  Lake  City  as  a 
doctrine  of  the  church. 

In  this  "revelation,"  great  pains  had  been  taken  to 
conciliate  Smith's  wife,  Emma,  and  to  prepare  her  for 
the  new  dispensation.  In  it,  she  was  addressed  by 
name,  and  adjured  to  obey  or  be  destroyed.  Outwardly, 
she  was  compelled  to  acquiesce,  but  I  imagine  she  felt 
as  indignant  as  any  right-minded  woman  might  under 

the  same  circumstances. 

My  sister  once  heard  her 
express  her  opinion  of  spir- 
itual marriages.  On  this  oc- 
casion my  sister  and  her 
husband,  who  were  in  Nau- 
voo on  a  business  trip,  went 
into  the  hotel  parlor  on  the 
morning  of  the  second  day 
of  their  stay  to  await  the 
cnll  to  breakfast.  Ten  or 
twelve  young  women  were 
assembled  here,  laughing  and 
talking.  Mrs.  Emma  Smith 
presently  joined  them,  and 
recognizing  my  sister,  whom 
she  had  me*  before,  entered 
into  conversation  with  her. 
Upon  my  sister  asking, 
"Mrs.  Smith,  where  does 
your  church  get  this  doc- 
trine of  spiritual  wives?" 
her  face  flushed  searlet.  and 
her  eyes  blazed  as  she  re- 
plied, "Straight  from  hell, 
madam."  Some  of  the  young 
women  blushed  too,  others 
giggled,  and  .still  others 
were  stolid  and  indifferent. 
One  of  these  girls  hnd  for- 
merly worked  for  my  sister 
as  seamstress.  My  sister 


talked  with  her,  offering  her 
work  and  help  for  her  fam- 
ily, who  were  very  poor,  if 
she    would    but    leave    the 
Mormons.     The   girl   prom- 
ised that  she  would,  but  she  never  did.  and  my  sister 
never  saw  her  again. 

The  privileges  granted  the  Nauvoo  "Legion"  have 
been  mentioned.  In  Smith's  hands,  the  "Legion"  soon 
became  a  great  power,  and  both  political  parties  looked 
longingly  at  the  votes  he  controlled.  For  a  time  Smith 
remained  neutral,  but  finally  he  joined  the  ranks  of  the 
Democrats. 

It  happened  in  this  manner.  A  prominent  Whig  wax 
nominated  for  Congress  by  his  party.  Smith  promised 
him  his  own  and  the  Mormon  vote,  but,  at  the  election, 
every  Mormon,  except  Smith,  voted  for  the  Democratic 
candidate.  Smith  kept  his  word,  so  far  as  his  personal 
vote  was  concerned,  but  he  had  a  "revelation"  instruct- 
ing every  other  Mormon  to  vote  against  the  Whig. 

In  1844,  before  the  nominations  for  the  presidency 
of  the  United  States,  Smith  wrote  to  every  man  men- 
tioned for  the  office,  asking  his  views  regarding  the  pun- 


376 


THE    BELLMAN 


April  1,  1916 


The  Old  Courthouse  at  Carthage 

ishment  due  the  people  of  Missouri  for  their  alleged 
persecution  of  the  Mormons.  In  Smith's  opinion,  none 
of  these  prospective  candidates  were  duly  severe.  Hence, 
in  the  Nauvoo  Times  and  Seasons,  his  name  appeared 
in  flaming  headlines  as  candidate  for  the  presidency  of 
the  United  States,  with  Sidney  Rigdon  as  his  running 
mate.  Such  was  his  inflated  self-esteem  and  insane 
ambition. 

Very  soon  nfter  the  "Faithful"  were  gathered  to- 
gether to  form  the  Nanvoo  settlement,  the  citizens  of  the 
county  saw  they  had  made  a  great  mistake  in  welcoming 
the  Mormons  among  them.  This  change  of  mind  was 
not  due  to  statements  from  the  Missourians,  but  to  the 
actions  of  the  Mormons  themselves.  They  were  many 
in  number,  their  leaders  had  many  projects  planned  that 
required  means.  Hence,  to  supply  their  own  immediate 
needs,  and  to  furnish  capital  to  carry  out  the  mandates 
of  the  church,  raids  were  frequently  made  into  the  coun- 
try for  the  purpose  of  "lifting"  cattle,  horses,  and  prod- 
uce of  every  kind.  There  was  little  or  no  redress,  for 
Smith,  as  mayor,  had  the  right  to  resort  to  the  habeas 
corpus  act.  No  matter  how  many  were  arrested  by 
county  officers,  they  were  set  at  liberty  by  this  act,  and 
before  further  steps  could  be  taken,  they  were  out  of 
reach. 

A  few  years  ago  a  man  who  bad  suffered  severely 
from  Mormon  depredations  told  me  this  story.  From 
time  to  time,  Smith  sent  his  men  to  this  man  with  orders 
for  cattle,  hay,  grain,  and  other  farm  produce.  He  re- 
ceived partial  pay,  at  intervals,  but  the  bill,  as  a  whole, 
becaue  larger  and  larger.  No  attention  was  paid  to  his 
requests  for  settlement,  but  the  orders  continued  to 
arrive.  Becoming  impatient,  he  mounted  his  horse  one 
morning  and  rode  to  Nauvoo  to  demand  settlement. 
Smith  received  him  with  a  great  show  of  cordiality, 
promised  him  immediate  payment — and  charged  him  a 
round  sum  for  his  dinner  at  the  hotel. 

Immediately  after  dinner,  Smith  disappeared,  tem- 
porarily, as  the  man  supposed,  so  he  went  out  for  a  short 
stroll  through  the  town.  Before  he  had  walked  a  block. 
he  was  surrounded  by  six  rough-looking  men,  each  of 
whom  had  a  large  pine  stick  in  his  hand,  which  he  was 
whittling  vigorously  with  a  bowie  knife.  They  gradu- 
ally pressed  nearer  and  nearer* to  him  until  the  points 


of  their  knives  almost  touched  him  as 
they  cut  viciously  at  the  pine.  Sur- 
prised and  indignant,  the  man  gave  the 
one  nearest  him  a  forcible  kick  on  the 
shins,  inquiring  at  the  same  time  what 
they  meant  by  such  conduct.  Taking 
no  notice  either  of  his  words  or  hi*  ac- 
tions, they  merely  pressed  closer,  and 
whittled  faster.  A  crowd  began  to 
gather.  Seeing  no  way  of  ridding  him 
self  of  these  men,  and  realizing  that 
their  demonstration  was  prompted  by 
some  sinister  motive,  he  returned  to  the 
hotel  as  quickly  a*  possible.  By  the 
time  he  went  up  the  hotel  step*,  the 
erowd  and  the  whittling  men  had  dis- 
appeared. 

Upon  inquiring  for  Smith  and  being 
told  that  he  was  out  of  town,  he  ordered 
his  horse.  No  sooner  had  he  mounted 
than  he  was  again  surrounded  by  the 
whittlers,  who  hastened  his  horse's 
movements  by  pricking  it  with  their 
sharp  sticks.  Not  a  word  was  spoken, 
but  when  they  were  well  out  of  the  city 
limits,  they  left  him. 

As  he  was  unarmed,  he  was  too  thankful  to  escape 
with  his  life  to  make  any  ado  about  his  money,  though 
he  never  received  a  penny  of  the  amount  owed  him.  In 
the  county,  talcs  of  murder  and  disappearance  were  rife ; 
those  to  whom  the  Mormons  owed  large  sums  of  money 
had  a  peculiar  way  of  vanishing.  He  had  given  the 
stories  little  credence,  but,  even  had  he  done  so,  he  would 
not  have  believed  that  he  himself  could  be  subjected  to 
such  treatment,  for  Smith  had  always  shown  him  atten- 
tion and  courtesy. 

But  he  was  not  through  with  the  Mormons.  In  the 
course  of  a  fortnight,  another  demand  for  supplies  was 
made,  with  which,  of  course,  he  did  not  comply.  The 
result  was  that,  in  one  night,  several  hundred  beautiful 
young  fruit  trees  were  girdled,  and  so  totally  destroyed. 
My  father  died  before  these  people  became  so  notori- 
ous, and  my  mother,  being  left  with  the  care  of  the 
family  and  the  farm,  sometimes  hired  Mormon  men  for 
the  heavy  work.  One  who  was  thus  employed  to  split 
logs  into  rails  for  fencing  was  a  dark,  ruddy  man  of 
immense  stature,  Butterfield  by  name.  I  remember  that 
for  his  breakfast,  in  addition  to  what  most  men  would 
consider  a  bountiful  meal,  he  devoured  forty  buckwheat 
cakes !  I  think  he  could  have  eaten  more,  but  no  more 
were  ever  set  before  him.  They  were  baked  on  a  griddle 
holding  eight  good  big  cakes.  After  the  fifth  griddleful 
had  been  set  before  him,  the  little  Mormon  maid  who 
baked  them  would  take  the  griddle  from  the  crane  with 
an  angry  jerk,  bang  it  down  on  the  hearth,  and  leave  the 
kitchen,  muttering,  "If  he  wants  any  more,  he  may  bake 
them  himself." 

While  Butterfield  was  working  for  my  mother,  a  term 
of  the  circuit  court  was  held  in  Carthage.  The  judge, 
the  lawyers,  clients,  witnesses,  and  others  interested 
made  a  large  gathering,  far  exceeding  in  number  those 
attracted  by  "court  week"  nowadays.  There  were  no 
railroads,  so  those  who  came  to  attend  court  boarded  in 
the  village  during  the  entire  session.  In  the  evenings, 
there  was  nothing  to  do,  so,  to  pass  the  time,  the  young 
lawyers  had  impromptu  debates  and  speeches. 

At  the  time  of  which  I  speak,  there  were  mutterings 
of  the  coming  storm,  and  an  anti-Mormon  meeting  was 
planned  for  a  certain  evening.  Contrary  to  Butterfield's 
iiMial  custom,  he  went  to  town  that  evening.  When  he 


April  1, 1910 


THE    BELLMAN 


877 


reached  the  crowded  courtroom,  a  speaker  was  denounc- 
ing the  Mormon  people.  When  he  ended,  Butterfield 
strode  to  the  judge's  stand  and,  mounting  the  steps, 
began  a  fanatical  defense  of  his  religion.  He  rattled 
off,  with  great  volubility,  their  doctrines  concerning  bap- 
tism for  the  dead,  talking  in  unknown  tongues,  the  lav- 
ing on  of  hands,  anointing  for  the  healing  of  the  sick, 
the  seeing  of  visions,  and  the  dreaming  of  dreams.  He 
continued  his  harangue  by  saying  that  faith  was  the  only 
thing  needed  to  make  of  any  one  a  "Latter  Day  Saint," 
adding,  "I  hope  to  live  to  see  all  who  hear  my  voice  this 
night  believers  in  the  Prophet  nnd  in  the  Book  of  the 
Mormons." 

The  surprise  of  the  men  who  had  arranged  the  anti- 
Mormon  meeting  was  complete.  Buttcrfield's  action  was 
so  sudden,  his  talk  so  amasing,  that  so  far  he  had  been 
listened  to  in  silence,  but  now  he  was  interrupted  by  a 
shower  of  sticks  and  small  stones,  driven  from  the  room, 
and  pursued  far  on  the  road  to  our  house.  He  reached 
home  in  a  wretched  condition,  since,  according  to  the 
Mormon  doctrine  of  non-resistance,  he  could  make  no 
defense.  Otherwise  he,  a  modern  Snmson,  could  have 
dealt  easily  with  his  persecutors. 

After  this  occurrence,  he  was  more  gloomy  nnd 
fanatical  than  ever.  Though  he  was  n  faithful,  sober, 
efficient  worker,  my  mother  had  finally  to  dismiss  him. 

By  1844,  twenty  thousand  Mormons  were  settled  in 
and  about  Nauvoo,  and  the  "Legion"  was  said  to  have 
an  enrollment  of  five  thousand.  At  this  time,  a  schism 
arose.  Two  brothers,  William  and  Wilson  Law,  with 
their  families,  had  come  to  Nauvoo  from  Canada  soon 
after  "stake  planting."  They  were  men  of  good  charac- 
ter and  of  wealth,  and  they  invested  all  their  means  in 
Nauvoo,  buying  lots  and  building  mills  and  warehouses. 
Thus,  through  tl.cir  unimpeachable  character,  and  by 
means  of  their  wealth,  they  greatly  aided  in  building  up 
the  city  of  the  sect. 

It  seemed  to  the  gentiles  to  take  a  long  time  for  these 
brothers  to  discover  Smith's  real  character,  and  the  rot- 
tenness of  the  Mormon  system.  Hut  when  tin  \  did.  tin  v 


decided  with  great  courage  to  fight  Smith  in  his  strong- 
hold, and  to  publish  the  truth  to  the  world.  To  this 
end,  they  bought  and  set  up  a  printing  press,  and  on 
June  7,  1844,  the  first  issue  of  the  Nauvoo  Expositor 
was  given  to  the  world.  The  next  day  a  meeting  of  the 
city  council  was  called.  This  body,  Joseph  Smith  as 
mayor  presiding,  deliberated  two  days,  then  passed  a 
resolution  declaring  the  Expositor  a  nuisance  which 
should  be  abated.  Accordingly,  the  press  and  type  were 
thrown  into  the  street  and  destroyed. 

The  Laws  immediately  procured  writs  at  Carthage 
for  the  arrest  of  Joseph  Smith,  Hiram  Smith,  and  others. 
At  this  time,  several  other  writs  were  out,  some  of  which 
had  been  served,  but  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus  from  the 
municipal  court  had  set  the  arrested  men  free.  These, 
with  other  iniquitous  acts,  set  the  whole  country  on  fire. 
Public  meetings  were  held,  resolutions  passed,  and  every- 
where men  were  armed  and  drilled,  since  it  was  evident 
that  the  officers  serving  the  writs  would  have  to  be  aided 
by  a  posse. 

As,  in  evading  and  resisting  the  law,  Smith  was 
hacked  by  his  "Legion,"  adjoining  counties  were  asked 
to  join  Hancock  County  in  her  effort  to  enforce  the  law. 
Arms  and  ammunition  were  lacking  for  many  who  volun- 
teered, so  agents  were  sent  to  Quincy  and  St.  Louis  to 
procure  supplies  of  both.  Warsaw  contributed  one  thou- 
sand dollars  to  the  fund  raised  for  that  purpose,  and 
other  towns  gave  in  proportion,  each  according  to  it* 
ability. 

A  deputation  was  sent  to  Governor  Ford  at  Spring- 
field to  notify  him  of  the  trouble.  After  hearing  their 
story,  he  decided  to  visit  the  county  in  person  and  form 
his  own  judgment  regarding  the  situation. 

At  the  time  of  his  arrival,  there  were  about  seventeen 
hundred  men  encamped  in  and  about  Carthage,  and  the 
little  town  was  the  scene  of  great  excitement.  With  the 
younger  children,  I  went  sometimes  to  sec  the  drilling 
and  parading.  The  commotion,  the  music  of  fifes  and 
drums,  the  fluttering  of  the  Stars  and  Stripes  in  thr 
warm  June  brrr/.r.  the  galloping  hither  .-mil  thither  of 


Vnuvan  ««  it  is  Tmlny.  limiting  South  from  (lie  Site  of  UK-  Trinple 


378 


THE    BELLMAN 


April  1,  1916 


oolonels  with  red  sashes  and  very  bright  §wordi,  were 
sight!  and  founds  never  to  be  forgotten.  High  above 
all  other  sounds  could  be  heard  the  droning  and  shriek 
ing  of  the  bagpipe*.  The  piper  himself,  in  full  High- 
land costume  of  kilt,  plaid  and  bonnet,  gave  an  added 
touch  of  the  picturesque  to  the  scene.  Another  musician 
of  this  gathering  was  the  fifer  of  our  own  county.  We 
could  always  be  sure  Hancock  County  troop*  were  com- 
ing when  we  heard  "Jefferson  and  Liberty,"  a  stirring 
march,  well  calculated  to  make  a  man  keep  step  whether 
he  had  any  idea  of  time  or  not. 

Regarding  the  developments  that  followed  the  gov- 
ernor's arrival  at  Carthage,  I  quote  from  "The  Prophet 
of  Palmyra,"  by  Thomas  Gregg.  "The  governor  prompt- 
ly placed  all  the  troops,  with  their  proper  officers,  under 
orders.  He  next  called  upon  the  mayor  and  the  city 
council  of  Nauvoo  to  present  their  side  of  the  case, 
which  they  did  through  a  committee.  .  .  .  There  was 
considerable  delay  and  indecision,  but  finally  a  new  war- 
rant was  issued  charging  the  Smiths  with  treason. 
When  the  constable  presented  this,  backed  as  he  was  by 
the  governor's  authority,  the  Smiths  and  two  members  of 
the  council  voluntarily  surrendered,  and  entered  into 
recognisance  to  appear  at  court.  Neither  party  being 
prepared  for  the  examination  on  the  charge  of  treason, 
the  accused  were  ordered  placed  in  the  county  jail  for 
safe-keeping.  .  .  .  The  charge  of  treason  was  based 
on  the  alleged  fact  of  levying  war  against  the  state,  of 
declaring  martial  law  in  the  city,  and  of  ordering  out  the 
Legion  to  resist  the  execution  of  the  laws." 

'  After  the  prisoners  arrived  at  Carthage,  some  of  the 
men  in  the  militia  from  adjoining  counties  expressed  a 
wish  to  see  the  Smiths.  The  governor,  hearing  this, 
decided  to  give  all  the  troops  an  opportunity  to  gratify 
their  desire.  However,  he  said  nothing  to  the  men  of 
his  intention.  He  ordered  Singleton,  the  commanding 
general,  to  call  the  troops  out  on  parade.  The  troops  on 
the  south  side  of  the  town  square  were  drawn  up  in  front 
of  their  tents  expecting  every  moment  to  see  the  gov- 
ernor and  his  staff  officers  for  the  review.  Instead,  they 
saw  coming  from  Hamilton's  Hotel  the  sheriff,  with 
Joseph  Smith  leaning  on  one  arm,  and  Hiram  on  the 
other.  They  walked  to  the  extreme  right  of  the  troops, 
when  the  sheriff  began  introducing  them  right  and  left, 
saying,  "Gentlemen,  this  is  General  Joseph  Smith;  Mr. 
Hiram  Smith,  gentlemen." 

All  along  the  crowded  lines  they  passed,  bowing  and 
smiling,  until  they  reached  the  Carthage  Greys.  This 
was  a  well-drilled,  well-uniformed  company  of  Carthage 
citizens,  men  who  knew  well  the  character  of  the  pris- 
oners. They  had  been  interested  spectators  of  this  tri- 
umphal progress,  and  they  saw  the  full  significance  of 
the  incident.  Here  were  two  men  indicted  for  treason, 
md  many  other  lesser  crimes,  being  introduced  as  per- 
sons of  distinction  by  the  sheriff,  while  the  governor  and 
his  staff  looked  on  with  complacency. 

This  was  too  much  for  their  patience,  and  when  the 
prisoners  reached  their  line,  they  cried  out,  "No,  no;  no 
introductions  for  us."  They  groaned  and  hissed,  and 
some  cried  out,  "Down  with  all  impostors!" 

The  sheriff's  face  turned  scarlet,  but  Joseph  Smith's 
was  the  color  of  ashes  as  he  gasped,  "Let  us  get  back 
to  the  hotel."  This  they  did,  and  the  people  at  the  hotel 
said  that  when  they  reached  there  a  stimulant  had  to  be 
given  Smith,  he  was  so  weak  from  fright.  After  dinner, 
he  and  bis  companions  were  glad  to  be  placed  in  the  jail 
for  safe-keeping. 

The  governor  was  much  chagrined  at  this  turn  of 
affairs,  and  promptly  ordered  the  Carthage  Greys  under 
arrest  for  mutiny.  However,  the  company  declared  they 


were  under  arms  to  assist  in  bringing  the  Smiths  to  law- 
ful punishment,  not  to  further  their  aggrandisement ; 
and,  moreover,  that  they  would  never  submit  to  arrest 
merely  for  refusing  to  be  introduced  to  men  who  refused 
to  obey  their  country's  laws.  They  emphasised  this 
declaration  by  loading  their  guns  with  ball  cartridges, 
and  marching  at  double-quick  time  to  the  courthouse, 
where  they  stood  with  their  backs  to  the  wall.  At  this 
juncture,  the  governor,  no  doubt  feeling  that  he  was 
between  the  "devil  and  the  deep  sea,"  sent  a  deputation 
to  talk  to  the  Greys,  and  to  invite  their  officer*  to  confer 
with  him  at  the  courthouse.  A  compromise  was  thus 
reached,  and  the  Greys,  no  longer  threatened  with  ar- 
rest, returned  to  their  assigned  quarters  on  the  square. 

Mr.  Gregg  says:  "The  governor  now  decided  to 
march  the  entire  force  to  Nauvoo,  but  he  doe*  not  seem 
to  have  had  any  clearly  defined  reason  for  so  doing. 
.  .  .  The  morning  of  June  twenty-seven  was  fixed  upon 
for  this  march,  and  on  the  twenty-sixth  the  troops  at 
Warsaw  received  orders  to  meet  the  governor  and  the 
main  force  at  Golden's  Point,  several  mile*  from  Nauvoo.  * 

"But,  on  the  twenty-seventh,  the  governor  wavered 
in  this  intention,  and  called  his  officers  together  in  coun- 
cil. Though  they,  by  a  small  majority,  were  in  favor 
of  going,  the  governor  countermanded  the  orders  pre- 
viously given,  and  disbanded  the  troops.  Three  com- 
panies were  retained,  two  to  remain  at  Carthage,  and  one 
to  accompany  him  to  Nauvoo.  The  Warsaw  troop*  were 
met  on  the  prairie  by  the  disbanding  officer  before  they 
reached  Golden's  Point"  I  think,  myself,  there  was  but 
one  company  left  at  Carthage.  At  least,  all  that  after- 
noon there  were  no  soldiers  in  sight  but  the  Carthage 
Grey*. 

This  temperate  recital  gives  but  a  faint  idea  of  the 
undercurrent  of  excitement,  I  may  truthfully  say,  of  rage 
and  disgust,  that  this  order  to  disband  created.  The 
order  to  march  had  been  expected  several  days  before  it 
was  actually  given.  The  troops  had  been  summoned  so 
hastily  that  the  rations  furnished  by  the  state  were  in- 
adequate, and,  that  they  might  not  suffer  for  food  when 
marching,  the  women  of  Carthage  and  the  surrounding 
country  prepared  a  great  quantity  of  good  thing*  to  eat 

So  when,  on  the  morning  of  the  twenty-seventh,  that 
unexpected  order  to  disband  and  disperse  was  received, 
there  was  universal  disappointment  and  chagrin.  Strong 
hopes  had  been  entertained  that  a  show  of  determination, 
backed  by  strength,  would  secure  the  enforcement  of  law 
in  the  county,  and  possibly  even  banish  the  offenders. 
But  now  the  people  of  Carthage  were  left  in  despair. 

>  It  was,  indeed,  a  serious  situation  for  the  little  city. 
Friction  between  the  people  of  Nauvoo  and  their  neigh- - 
bors  had  reached  such  a  point  that  violence  was  to  be 
feared  at  every  moment;  and  the  arrest  of  Joseph  and 
Hiram  Smith  was  certain  to  increase  the  danger  im- 
mensely. Before  this  the  Carthage  people  had  looked 
forward  to  the  arrival  of  the  troops  mainly  in  hopes  that 
it  would  put  an  end  to  Mormon  disregard  of  the  law, 
but  now  they  felt  that  they  needed  actual  protection  for 
their  property,  and  perhaps  for  their  live*.  However, 
great  as  was  the  discouragement  in  Carthage  when  the 
order  to  disband  was  announced,  it  was  a*  nothing  to 
what  the  terror  would  have  been  if  the  inhabitant*  could 
have  foreseen  the  event*  which,  with  appalling  swiftness, 
were  to  follow  it. 

This  narrative  outlines  the  course  of  events  up  to 
June  87,  1844,  the  day  which  marked  the  turning  point 
of  Mormon  history  in  Illinois.  Of  the  event*  of  that 
day  iUelf,  and  of  what  followed  it,  I  have  written  in 
another  chapter. 

(To  I 


April  8,  1916 


THE    BELLMAN 


401 


WHEN  THE  MORMONS  DWELT  AMONG  US:  II 

EUDOCIA  BALDWIN  MARSH 


Kama's  NOT*.  —  The  Ant  chapter  of  this  narrative  At- 
tended the  establishment  of  the  Mormon  colony  at  Nauvoo. 
Illinois,  In  the  ysars  following  1834,  under  the  leadership  of 
KM  -Prophet."  Joseph  Smith.  Its  concluding  incident  was  the 
arrest  of  Joseph  and  Hiram  Smith,  and  other  prominent  Mor- 
mons, by  direction  of  Governor  Ford,  and  their  removal  to  the 
Carthage  jail,  where  they  were  guarded  by  the  Carthage  Greys. 
hliil  by  the  governor  were  then  unexpectedly 


The  troops 

ordered  by  him  to  disband,  on  the  morning  of  June  97,  18*4. 

Soon  after  the  order  to  disband  was  promulgated, 
the  governor,  escorted  by  the  company  from  Augusta, 
rode  to  Nauvoo.  He  expressed  an  intention  to  search 
for  counterfeit  money,  but,  by  the  time  Nauvoo  was 
reached,  he  had  changed  his  mind.  Instead,  he  called 
the  people  together  and  spoke  to  them.  He  claimed 
that,  in  this  speech,  he  rated  them  severely,  and  exacted 
from  them  a  promise  that  they  would  obey  the  laws  of 
the  land. 

My  two  older  brothers  were  members  of  the  Carthage 
Grey*.  After  the  other  troops  had  been  disbanded,  this 
company  moved  their  tents  to  the  southwest  corner  of 
the  square.  Squads  of  six  were  sent  from  time  to  time 
to  relieve  the  guard  at  the  jail. 

In  the  morning,  word  had  been  sent  us  of  the  order 
to  disband,  that  we  might  not  proceed  further  in  our 
efforts  to  add  to  the  commissary  supplies.  Wondering 


much  at  such  an  ending  to  all  our  hopes,  and  being  un- 
certain as  to  the  cause,  my  mother,  little  sister,  and  I 
walked  to  town  after  dinner.  My  married  sister  lived  on 
the  west  side  of  the  square,  and  from  her  house  we  had 
a  full  view  of  the  tents  occupied  by  the  Greys. 

After  a  short  visit,  I  went  with  a  friend  to  call  upon 
a  friend  living  but  a  few  blocks  away.  We  started  to 
return  to  my  sister's  between  four  and  five  o'clock,  and 
passed  three  men  from  Warsaw,  whom  I  knew  well. 
As  they  were  members  of  the  Warsaw  company  halted 
on  its  march  that  day,  I  was  surprised  to  see  them  in 
Carthage.  The  significance  of  their  appearance  I  un- 
derstood later. 

As  I  was  removing  my  hat,  my  brother-in-law,  son 
officer  of  the  Greys,  came  in  hurriedly,  and  said,  "A 
party  of  men  are  coming  to  take  Joe  Smith  from  jail, 
and  hang  him  in  the  square." 

His  face  was  very  white,  as  he  buckled  on  his  sword, 
and  rushed  back  to  his  company.  Our  feelings  of  horror 
and  consternation  may  be  imagined,  for  bad  as  we  be- 
lieved the  man  to  be,  this  outcome  was  too  terrible  to 
be  thought  of. 

We  went  to  the  door  and  looked  down  the  street. 
The  news  that  something  unusual  was  about  to  happen 
was  evidently  abroad,  for  men  were  running  about  and 


Vauvoo  ill  19*6 


From   ••   old    prlmt 


40'.' 


THE    BELLMAN 


April  8,  1916 


gathering  in  groups,  many  with  frightened  face*.  A* 
we  »tood  watching,  a  group  of  men  flopped  in  pasting, 
and  one  of  them  told  us,  "A  party  of  Mormon*  are  com- 
ing to  rescue  the  Smiths  and  take  them  to  Nauvoo;  we 
fear  the  guard  will  all  be  killed,  they  are  so  few." 

My  mother  turned  away  without  a  word,  and  went 
into  an  inner  room.  We  all  knew  why — my  oldest 
brother  was  on  duty  at  the  jail;  he  had  marched  by  two 
hours  before  in  the  relief  guard. 

We  must  have  taken  it  for  granted  th.it  my  brother- 
in-law  was  mistaken  in  his  message,  for  none  of  us 
thought  of  questioning  this  last  report.  By  this  time, 
the  square  was  the  scene  of  the  greatest  excitement  and 
confusion.  Men  ran  about,  some  shouting,  "The  Mor- 
mons are  coming,  the  guard  will  all  be  killed" ;  others, 
"The  Danites  are  coming  for  the  Smiths."  They  did 
nothing  but  shout.  None  of  them  went  near  the  jail. 
f  Meanwhile,  the  Greys  were  standing  about  in  front 
of  their  tents,  apparently  in  confusion.  The  captain,  a 
man  over  six  feet  in  height,  seemed  to  be  trying  to  get 
the  men  into  line.  Some  of  them  had  been  sleeping,  and 
were  now  but  half-awake.  But  my  brother  Tom  was 
•wake,  very  wide-awake,  for  I  saw  an  officer  take  him 
by  the  arm  several  times  and  shove  him  roughly  into  the 
ranks. 

At  last,  Tom  shouted,  "Come  on,  you  cowards,  damn 
you,  come  on;  those  boys  will  all  be  killed!"  I  must 
confess  that  he  swore,  something  I  had  never  known  him 
to  do  before.  Finally,  he  broke  away  from  those  holding 
him,  and,  with  his  gun  on  his  shoulder,  ran  with  all  his 
might  past  us  to  the  jail. 

Just  then  a  group  of  men  passed,  going  in  the  oppo- 
site direction.  Fearing  for  my  brothers,  I  said  to  them. 
"Aren't  you  going  to  the  jail  to  help  those  boys?"  All 
shook  their  heads,  and  one,  a  "Jack  Mormon,"  said,  "I 
dare  not."  The  "Jack  Mormons"  were  thought  little  of 
by  either  Mormons  or  gentiles,  for  they  feared  to  side 
with  either. 

"Well,"  I  replied,  "my  brother  was  right:  you  arc 
all  coward*,"  and,  turning  away,  I  ran  nftrr  Tom  to  give- 


House  of  William  Law,  One  of  the  Twelve  Apo»»le» 


him  what  help  I  could.  Turning  a  corner  sharply,  I  met 
my  mother,  who  had  left  my  sister's  home  by  the  back 
gate  to  join  her  sons  at  the  jail. 

We  had  almost  reached  the  jail,  when  the  mob  ap- 
peared, and  we  became  separated.  The  men  were  all 
disguised,  and  mother,  supposing  them  to  be  Mormons, 
kept  on,  nothing  daunted,  firmly  resolved  to  stand  by  her 
sons.  But  before  she  reached  the  gate  of  the  jail  yard, 
the  foremost  men  had  leaped  the  fence,  thrown  the  guard 
to  the  ground,  and  were  streaming  up  the  stairs  of  the 
jail.  A  moment  later,  my  mother  saw  Joseph  Smith 
come  to  the  window,  and  lean  far  out.  Bullets  whistled 
about  him,  and,  with  a  loud  cry,  be  pitched  headlong  to 
the  ground.  Only  then  did  mother  realise  that  these 
men  were  not  Mormons,  and  she  turned  away,  heartsick 
and  terrified. 

We  both  returned  to  my  sister's,  feeling  that  oar 
troubles  were  by  no  means  over,  since  the  "Prophet's" 
death  would  certainly  arouse  the  vengeance  of  his  people. 
The  Smiths  were  not  in  the  jail  proper,  but  in  a 
large  front  room  of  the  sheriff's  quarters.  When  the 
news  reached  the  sheriff  that  a  large  body  of  men  were 
coming,  he  told  the  prisoners,  and  begged  them  to  allow 
him  to  lock  them  in  a  cell.  Joseph  Smith  replit  1  gayly. 
"Oh,  I  think  they  must  be  friends.  Don't  worry,  Mr. 
Sheriff,  it  will  be  all  right." 

Long  afterwards  it  was  known  that,  after  the  demon- 
stration by  the  Carthage  Greys,  Smith  had  written  to  the 
lieutenant  in  command  of  the  "Legion"  at  Nauvoo  to 
come  at  once  with  sufficient  men  to  release  him  and  his 
brother.  This  is  why  he  was  so  sanguine  that  the  men 
approaching  were  friends. 

In  less  than  a  half-hour  from  the  time  I  saw  the  three 
Warsaw  men  ride  into  town,  the  Smiths  were  lying  dead. 
I  have  always  believed  that  they  tried  to  disperse  the 
mob,  and,  failing,  spurred  into  town  to  bring  word  to 
those  whom  they  thought  might  avert  the  tragedy. 

Here  I  quote  the  words  of  a  well-known  lawyer  of 
Carthage:  "As  the  mob  reached  the  front  of  the  jail, 
the  guard,  standing  on  the  steps,  fired.  Though  the 
leaders  of  the  mob  were  not 
twenty  feet  distant,  no  one  was 
hit,  but  the  assailants — whose 
faces  were  blackened — seised 
the  guard  and  threw  them  to  the 
ground.  As  many  as  could 
rushed  up  the  stairway,  and 
tried  to  break  in  the  door  to  the 
room  where  the  Smiths,  Bishop 
Taylor,  and  Richards  were  con- 
fined. These  four  men  held  the 
door  successfully,  so  the  mob 
fired  through  the  door,  wounding 
Bishop  Taylor  and  Joseph 
Smith,  and  killing  Hiram  Smith. 
Richards,  unhurt,  crouched  be- 
hind the  now-opened  door.  A 
window  opposite  was  open,  and 
Joseph  sprang  upon  its  broad 
sill  to  jump  out,  but  bullets 
struck  him  from  behind  and  he 
fell  headlong  to  the  ground. 
Balls  from  without  met  his  fall- 
ing body.  It  seemed  to  me,  forty 
rods  distant,  but  in  full  sight, 
that,  for  a  moment,  he  partly 
raised  himself  to  a  sitting  pos- 
ture against  a  well  curb  beside 
which  he  fell.  However,  it  is 
not  true,  as  is  sometimes  stated, 


April  8,  1916 


THE    BELLMAN 


40:1 


that  hit  assailants  leaned  hit 
body  against  the  curb,  and 
made  of  it  a  target." 

He  adds:  "A  panic  sriird 
the  town,  and  within  two  h  ,urs 
it  was  deserted.  The  Hamilton 
House  alone  was  occupied. 
Thrre  the  killrd  and  wounded 
were  taken,  and  a  few  compas- 
sionately staved  to  serve  them. 
But,  excepting  these  few  Sa- 
maritans, the  population  fled, 
in  wagons,  on  horseback,  and 
afoot — anywhere  to  escape  the 
expected  storm." 

It  is  very  true  there  was  a 
panic.  My  brothers  and  broth- 
er-in-law came  to  us  as  soon  as 
they  could.  They  felt,  as  all 
did,  that  the  "Legion"  would 
be  in  Carthage  before  morning 
to  avenge  Smith's  death.  "We 
must  remain  and  defend  the 
town  as  best  we  can,"  they  said,  "but  you  must  go,  at 
once."  My  mother  and  I  at  once  returned  to  our  home, 
and  my  younger  brothers  drove  us  into  town  for  my 
sister  and  her  children.  When  we  said  flood-by  to  my 
brothers,  it  was  nearly  dark.  We  left  the  town  weep- 
ing, in  the  deepest  dejection,  for  we  had  great  fear  of 
what  might  befall  those  left  behind. 

About  eleven  o'clock,  we  reached  the  house  of  Mr. 
Kendall,  nine  miles  from  Carthage.  He  kept  a  sort  of 
rural  hotel,  and,  as  the  little  children  were  fretful,  and 
we  were  all  worn  out  with  excitement  and  fatigue,  we 
decided  to  stop  until  morning.  We  had  just  fallen 
asleep,  when  we  were  wakened  by  a  commotion  in  tin- 
yard.  Rough  calls  were  sounding,  men  were  shouting, 
and  horses  were  neighing  and  trampling.  We  looked 
at  each  other  with  blanched  faces,  but  mother,  who  wns 
always  fearless,  went  out  to  inquire  the  cause  of  tin- 
disturbance.  She  was  told  that  Governor  Ford  and  his 
company  had  stopped  to  feed  their  horses.  How  re- 
lieved we  were  to  find  that  soldiers,  and  not  the  dreadful 
"Danites,"  surrounded  us! 

Afterwards,  we  learned  that  the  governor,  returning 
from  Nauvoo,  was  met  by  a  messenger,  my  brother  Tom, 
with  the  nrws  of  the  murder.  Greatly  incensed,  he 
pushed  on  to  Carthage,  where  he  remained  only  long 
enough  to  denounce  the  people  for  their  folly.  That 
done,  he  left  them  to  their  fate,  and  rode  on  to  Quincy. 
Learning,  at  Kendall's,  that  our  little  party  had 
stopped  there  for  the  night,  he  ordered  us  all  to  get  up 
at  once  and  go  on  to  Augusta.  He  assured  mother  that 
the  avengers  would  be  there  before  morning,  and  he 
could  not  leave  us  to  be  murdered.  "You  must  get  up 
and  start  on,"  he  said,  and  so  we  did.  At  three  o'clock 
in  the  morning  we  gathered  together  bundles  and  babies 
— the  latter  protesting  vigorously.  Cold,  sleepy,  thor- 
oughly miserable,  we  reached  Augusta  shortly  after  five 
o'clock. 

We  inquired  the  way  to  the  home  of  an  old  friend, 
a  Dr.  Brown,  but  were  told  that  he  had  lately  lost  his 
wife  and  was  living  with  a  married  son.  This  ton's  wife 
had  never  known  us,  and  she  looked  rather  coldly  and 
distrustfully  upon  the  wagonload  of  disreputable-looking 
strangers  who  had  come  to  her  door.  But  the  old  doctor 
came  to  the  rescue.  He  called  out,  "Why,  bless  my  toul, 
my  friend,  how  be  you?  Running  away  from  the  Mor- 
mons, did  you  say?  Why.  do  tell!  And  who  did  you 
tay  killed  Joe  Smith?" 


The  Old  Jail  at  Carthage 

J..»i  I.F,  Smith  wu  (hot  at   lh«  Kcond  itory   window 


At  he  was  very  deaf,  mother  labored  for  tome  time 
to  explain  the  situation,  but  once  this  was  made  clear, 
we  were  invited  in  and  given  a  very  good  breakfast. 
This  so  refreshed  us  that  we  went  out  to  tee  if  we  could 
rent  a  couple  of  rooms.  That  proved  impossible,  so  we 
were  distributed  among  two  or  three  families. 

After  a  few  days,  my  brothers  sent  word  that  there 
was  no  present  danger  to  be  feared,  so  we  retumrd  to 
our  homes,  thankful  to  find  them  unharmed,  and  my 
brothers  safe  and  sound.  The  men  of  Carthage,  when 
deserted  by  the  governor,  prudently  retreated,  or,  in 
plainer  words,  simply  ran  away,  caring  little  who 
knew  it. 

The  women  and  children  of  Warsaw  also  fled  for 
safety  across  the  river  to  Alexandria.  None  of  the  three 
towns,  Carthage,  Warsaw,  and  Nauvoo,  knew,  for  several 
days,  what  was  transpiring  in  the  others.  In  retrospect, 
the  situation,  tragical  as  it  was,  had  a  humorous  side. 
Carthage  and  Warsaw  fled  in  opposite  directions  from 
the  wrath  of  the  avenging  "Legion,"  while,  at  the  same 
time,  the  "Legion,"  disordered  and  bewildered,  fled  be- 
fore an  imaginary  host  of  sanguinary  gentiles.  In  real- 
ity, Mormon  and  gentile  thought  each  of  his  own  safety, 
not  of  wreaking  vengeance  on  the  other. 

As  may  be  supposed,  after  the  death  of  the  Smiths, 
the  condition  of  affairs  grew  from  bad  to  worse.  Thiev- 
ing and  plundering  were  rife,  not  only  in  Hancock 
County,  but  in  the  adjoining  counties  at  well.  In  Adams 
County,  where  arrests  could  be  made,  as  many  as  eight 
Mormons  were  in  the  county  jail  at  one  time. 
'  The  death  of  the  sheriff  of  our  county  necessitated 
a  special  election  to  fill  the  office .  and  a  very  unpopular 
"Jack  Mormon"  was  elected,  solely  by  Mormon  votes. 
An  opportunity  soon  arose  for  him  to  show  his  sympathy 
for  the  Mormons.  Below  Warsaw  was  a  little,  strag- 
gling Mormon  village.  An  anti-Mormon  meeting  held 
near  there  had  been  fired  upon  through  the  windows, 
supposedly  by  Mormons  from  this  village.  For  this, 
and  other  reasons,  it  was  resolved  to  burn  the  wretched 
cabins,  and  to  force  their  inmates  to  go  to  Nauvoo. 
Accordingly,  one  by  one,  the  cabins  were  burned.  No 
harm  was  done  the  inmates;  on  the  contrary,  they  were, 
in  each  cate,  given  timely  warning,  and  their  household 
goods  were  set  oat  before  the  cabin  was  fired. 

These  rioters  were  joined  by  others,  for  the  pent-op 
feeling  against  the  Mormons  could  no  longer  be  re- 
strained. The  sheriff  tried  to  raise  a  posse  among  the 


sec 


404 


THE    BELLMAN 


April  8,  1916 


citizens  to  quell  the  disturbances,  but  he  was  so  hated 
that  his  efforts  were  in  rain.  September  IS,  1845,  he 
issued  a  proclamation  calling  on  the  rioters  to  disperse, 
and  asking  the  official  posse  of  the  county  to  help  him. 
He  added  that  he  wished  to  keep  the  Mormons  quiet,  but 
tha.  two  thousand  of  them  in  Nauvoo  were  armed,  and 
ready  to  come  to  his  assistance  at  any  time. 

No  attention  was  paid  to  this  paper,  so  he  did  call 
out  the  Mormons,  and  succeeded  in  dispersing  the  rioters. 

On  the  nineteenth,  at  sundown,  the  sheriff  and  his 
posse  of  several  hundred  men  surrounded  Carthage. 
They  came  down  on  the  village  like  "the  wolf  on  the 
fold,"  arresting  every  man  in  sight,  and  entering  every 
house  to  search  for  those  not  on  the  streets.  At  the  point 
of  the  bayonet,  the  men  were  rudely  hustled  to  the  court- 
house, where  they  were  kept  under  guard  until  midnight. 
Their  homes  were  ransacked  for  firearms,  and  they  knew 
not  how  their  families  would  be  treated. 

The  sheriff  said  he  was  looking  for  criminals,  which 
meant  two  or  three  men  accused  by  the  Mormons  of  com- 
plicity in  the  death  of  the  Smiths.  Innocent  or  guilty, 
had  these  men  been  found  at  this  time,  they  would  have 
had  but  short  shrift.  However,  they  had  been  warned 
in  time  to  escape,  and  the  "Danites"  vented  their  disap- 
pointment on  those  remaining. 

At  midnight,  the  men  in  the  courthouse  were  set  at 
liberty,  and  the  main  force  withdrew  the  following  morn- 
ing. Fifty  men  were  left  on  guard,  and  they  remained 
until  the  troops  sent  out  by  the  governor  arrived. 

I  well  remember  that  nineteenth  of  September,  for 
my  family,  too,  was  visited  by  a  portion  of  the  posse. 
The  evening  was  beautiful,  and  I  walked  out  to  enjoy 
the  sunset  and  soft  autumn  air.  Suddenly,  I  saw  one 
of  my  brothers  spring  over  the  fence  of  a  near-by  corn- 
field. He  had  been  out  on  scout  and  picket  duty  all  day, 
and  I  thought  it  strange  he  should  return  in  this  fashion, 
for  he  left  his  horse  standing  hidden  between  the  tall 
rows  of  corn. 

Running  to  me,  he  said  hurriedly,  "Run  to  the  barn, 
and  tell  the  boys  to  gather  up  all  the  guns  and  ammuni- 
tion, and  hide  them  in  the  woods.  The  sheriff  is  coming 
with  a  large  party — I  think  for  the  arms.  I  must  notify 
others.  Good-by." 

He  cleared  the  fence  at  a  bound  and,  springing  upon 
his  horse,  disappeared  among  the  corn.  I  went  at  once 
to  the  barn,  and  in  a  very  few  moments  the  boys  were  on 
their  way  to  the  woods.  They  carried  not  only  their  own 
hunting  rifles,  shotguns  and  pistols,  but  many  muskets 
belonging  to  the  Carthage  Greys. 

I  watched  them  go  with  their  heavy  loads,  then  sud- 
denly I  realized  that,  should  the  troops  come,  I  was  the 
only  one  left  to  meet  them!  Mother  had  been  ill  for 
several  days,  and  was  still  confined  to  bed.  Fearing  the 
result  should  the  men  surprise  her,  I  went  to  her  room, 
and  told  her  what  had  occurred.  She  looked  frightened, 
so  I  hastened  to  assure  her  that  they  would  not  molc-st 
us,  and  as  I  left  her  to  look  out  a  front  window  I  deter; 
mined  no  one  should  enter  her  room. 

I  looked  up  the  road  to  see  a  company  of  men  com- 
ing at  a  gallop.  In  a  moment,  they  were  in  front  of 
the  house,  and  leaping  from  their  horses,  and  drawing 
their  swords  with  a  resounding  clang,  they  surrounded 
the  house.  One  of  the  officers  banged  loudly  on  the 
door  with  his  sword  handle.  I  was  nearly  fifteen  years 
old,  and  not,  I  trust,  of  a  cowardly  nature,  yet  despite 
all  my  efforts  to  steady  my  hand,  it  shook  as  I  opened 
the  door.  About  ten  men  stood  there,  for  half  the  party 
had  gone  to  the  barn  and  stable*.  The  leader,  a  man 
of  better  appearance  than  the  others,  said,  "Miss,  yon 
need  not  feel  alarmed ;  we  are  not  going  to  hurt  you." 


"Oh,"  I  replied  stoutly,  "I  am  not  at  all  afraid  of 
you."  Perhaps  my  trembling  hands  and  white  face  be- 
lied my  words,  for  he  smiled  grimly  as  be  said,  "We  wish 
to  see  the  men  of  the  house,  and  we  want  certain  arms 
in  their  possession." 

I  told  him  there  were  neither  men  nor  guns  in  the 
house,  to  which  he  replied,  "Very  well,  bat  we  must 
search  the  premises." 

This  they  proceeded  to  do  at  once,  and  even,  despite 
my  most  earnest  pleading,  entered  my  mother's  roo-.. 
They  went  through  it  with  great  care,  no  doubt  thinking 
a  sickroom  might  furnish  •  plausible  hiding  place. 
Their  search  continued  until  dark,  but  aside  from  taking 
up  the  flooring  of  the  barn,  they  did  no  damage  to  the 
property. 

With  the  first  light  of  the  following  day,  they  re- 
newed their  endeavor  to  find  the  arms.  As  none  were 
discovered,  they  helped  themselves  liberally  to  all  kinds 
of  farm  produce,  stripping  the  hives  of  honey,  the  trees 
of  fruit,  and  feeding  their  horses  generously  with  hay 
and  grain.  This  the  sheriff  promised  to  pay  for,  but 
my  mother  never  received  a  cent  in  payment,  for  the 
county  afterwards  repudiated  the  orders  and  promises 
of  this  renegade  officer. 

Finally,  they  left  us,  and  glad  we  were  to  be  rid  of 
this  ill-looking  company.  The  men  had  long  hair  and 
beards,  and  were  dressed  in  butternut-dyed  clothing. 
They  bristled  with  pistols  and  bowie  knives — these  thrust 
into  the  bootleg — and  had  a  great  number  of  guns  and 
swords. 

Soon  after  they  left,  my  brothers  returned  in  high 
glee  at  having  outwitted  the  posse,  but  their  satisfaction 
lessened  when  mother  expressed  her  surprise  that  they 
should  have  left  us  alone  at  such  a  time.  They  pro- 
tested they  had  not  thought  we  should  be  annoyed,  and. 
indeed,  I  myself  had  not  thought  we  should  until  I  saw 
the  men  approaching. 

But  a  few  days  later,  a  second  raid  was  made  upon 
Carthage,  this  time  at  midnight.  One  of  my  brothers 
was  on  picket  duty  outside  the  village,  when  he  heard 
the  tramp  of  horses  and,  turning,  spurred  into  town  to 
five  the  alarm.  On  this  second  raid,  no  actual  violence 
was  done,  but  it  served  to  intensify  the  feeling  agninst 
the  Mormons.  Nine  adjoining  counties  called  a  conven- 
tion at  Carthage.  Hancock  County  was  purposely  ex- 
cluded, that  the  convention  might  be  as  free  as  possible 
from  the  bias  of  self-interest.  Resolutions  were  passed, 
expressing  the  conviction  that  in  no  way  could  the  situa- 
tion be  adjusted  save  by  the  removal  of  the  Mormons 
from  the  county  and  state. 

A  committee  was  sent  to  Nauvoo  to  confer  with  the 
Mormon  leaders.  Finally,  they  promised  to  leave  as 
soon  a*  arrangements  could  be  made,  although  they  said, 
"Th.it  cannot  be  until  grasses  grow,  and  waters  flow." 
Elisa  Snow,  one  of  Smith's  spiritual  wives,  published 
a  lament  in  the  Nauvoo  paper,  the  refrain  of  which  ex- 
pressed this  thought: 

When  icnues  jrrow,  and  waters  run, 
We  must  start  for  set  of  sun. 

The  excesses  which  had  occasioned  the  convention 
railed  also  for  executive  interference,  and  once  more  thr 
governor  sent  a  force  into  the  county  under  command  of 
Colonel  John  J.  Ilardin.  He  issued  a  proclamation  to 
the  people  of  the  county  enjoining  them  to  keep  the 
peace,  to  obey  the  laws,  and  the  constituted  authorities. 
He,  with  Attorney-General  John  A.  McDougal,  Judge 
Stephen  A.  Douglas,  and  Major  William  B.  Warren, 
visited  Nauvoo,  and  conferred  with  the  Mormons.  This 
committee,  too,  obtained  a  promise  that  the  people  would 
leave  the  country  the  following  spring.  This  being 


•  {*,* 

~ 


April  8,  1016 


THE    BELLMAN 


accomplished,  the  maiir  body  of  the  troops  was  with- 
drawn, and  Major  Warren,  with  one  hundred  men,  was 
left  at  Carthage  to  keep  order  daring  the  winter. 

These  troops  were  drawn  principally  from  the  Quincy 
Riflemen,  an  independent  company  made  up  of  young 
men  of  good  character.  Throughout  the  time  of  their 
stay  in  Carthage,  from  September  until  their  recall  the 
following  May,  they  were  called  upon  for  aid  in  all  parts 
of  the  county.  In  Nauvoo,  in  the  execution  of  process, 
they  were  insulted,  threatened,  and  even  violently  re- 
sisted, but  on  all  occa*  mi  they  exhibited  prudence, 
firmness,  and  sound  judgt_ent. 

They  disbanded  May  1,  but  the  following  day  Major 
Warren  received  orders  from  Governor  Ford  to  retain 
his  force  in  service  until  further  notice — this  time,  how- 
ever, with  headquarters  at  Nauvoo.  This  action  was 
taken  because  of  the  unrest  of  the  people  of  the  adjoin- 
ing counties,  as  exhibited  in  many  public  meetings. 

Mr.  Babbit,  a  Mormon  agent,  wrote  to  the  governor 
asking  if  the  Mormon  people  were  to  be  forced  from  thr 
state.  In  his  reply,  the  governor  denied  that  the  state 
had  been  a  party  to  the  compact  that  the  Mormons 
should  leave  in  this,  the  spring  of  1 846,  but  be  intimated 
that  they  must  go,  and  that  he  would  be  powerless  to 
prevent  their  expulsion.  "I  tell  you  frankly,"  he  said, 
"that  the  people  of  Illinois  will  not  fight  for  the  Mor- 
mons." 

On  May  82,  Major  Warren  sent  this  dispatch  to  the 
Warsaw  Signal:  "The  Mormons  are  leaving  the  city  in 
large  numbers.  The  ferry  here  averages  fifty-two  teams 
a  day  crossing,  and  the  one  at  Fort  Madison  forty-fire. 
Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  five  hundred  and  thirty-nine 
teams  have  left  during  the  week,  which,  averaging  three 
persons  to  each,  makes  in  all  one  thousand  six  hundred 
and  seventeen  souls." 


Notwithstanding  this  show  of  leaving,  the  people  of 
Illinois  doubted  the  Mormons'  sincerity.  The  ones  who 
left  camped  across  the  river  and  were  In  constant  com- 
muni--tion  with  the  city.  This  show  of  leaving  was  kept 
up  to  some  extent  all  summer,  although  those  who  bad 
crossed  went  back  to  Nauvoo  as  it  pleased  them. 

Matters  began  to  reach  a  crisis  when,  on  August  7, 
John  Carlin,  a  deputy  sheriff,  tried  to  serve  three  wriU 
for  robbery  In  Nauvoo.  He  succeeded  in  arresting  two 
of  the  men,  but  the  third  defied  him.  He  returned  to 
Carthage,  and  issued  a  proclamation  calling  on  the  posse 
to  assemble  on  August  87  to  aid  in  making  this  arrest. 

In  the  meantime,  on  August  18,  a  meeting  had  been 
held  in  Nauvoo,  at  which  it  was  resolved  that  Carlin's 
writ  should  not  be  executed,  and  that  military  resistance 
should  be  organised.  The  governor  was  also  besought 
to  interfere  in  the  Mormon  behalf.  He  finally  author- 
ised Major  James  R.  Parker,  of  the  Thirty-second  Regi- 
ment of  Illinois  Militia,  "to  call  out  and  take  command 
of  such  persons  as  will  volunteer,  free  of  cost  to  the 
state,  to  repel  any  attack  against  Nauvoo,  and  to  defend 
the  city."  The  governor  prefaced  this  order  by  saying, 
"Sir,  I  have  received  information  that  another  effort  is 
to  be  made  to  drive  out  the  inhabitants  of  Nauvoo  and 
to  destroy  the  city." 

This  order  placed  Parker  and  Carlin  in  direct  an- 
tagonism, and  a  war  of  words  followed.  Each  issued 
proclamations,  although  Major  Pnrkrr  had  but  a  small 
force  to  support  him. 

In  support  of  Carlin,  a  force  of  seven  »*  eight  hun- 
dred men  concentrated  near  Carthage  under  C'olonrl 
Singleton,  of  Brown  County.  The  encampment  was  five 
miles  northwest  of  the  village  on  the  Nauvoo  rond.  The 
quartermaster  of  this  troop,  a  friend  of  our  family,  in- 
vited us  to  visit  the  camp.  We  did  so  one  pleasant  after- 


-- 


t  iiini  i  ••'• 


The  Mansion  House  at  Nauroo,  Once  Kept  by  Joseph  Smith 


I9C     '-1 


406 


THE    BELLMAN 


April  8,  1016 


noon,  and,  seated  upon  powder  kegs,  witnessed  the  even- 
ing drill,  •  sight  well  worth  seeing,  since  the  men  had 
been  practicing  almost  constantly  for  two  years. 

During  this  encampment,  a  letter  was  received  from 
St  Louis  stating  that  a  steamboat  laden  with  arms  and 
ammunition  for  the  Mormons  had  just  left  that  place 
for  Nauvoo.  A  party  of  seventy-five  men,  my  oldest 
brother  among  them,  was  sent  at  once  to  the  river  in 
baggage  wagons  to  intercept  this  shipment  About  fif- 
teen miles  below  Nauvoo,  at  what  is  now  the  town  of 
Hamilton,  they  met  the  boat  It  was  ordered  to  land, 
but  its  captain  ignored  the  order  until  a  dosen  musket 
balls  went  whistling  over  its  deck.  Then  he  made  for 
the  opposite  shore  and  landed  there.  The  soldiers 
crossed  hastily  in  skiffs  and  rowboats  and,  meeting  with 
but  little  resistance,  took  possession  of  the  boat's  cargo. 
This  they  transferred  to  baggage  wagons  on  the  other 
side  of  the  river. 

Having  done  this,  they  went  south  to  Warsaw,  reach- 
ing that  place  at  daybreak.  They  made  this  detour  be- 
cause they  had  been  warned  by  scouts  that  from  four 
to  five  hundred  Mormons  lay*"in  wait  for  them,  thinking 
they  would  return  by  the  same  road  by  which  they  had 
gone.  Fortunately,  there  was  no  encounter.  Had  there 
been,  our  men  would  have  fared  ill,  as  they  were  ex- 
hausted, and  numbered  less  than  one-fifth  of  the  Mormon 
troop  in  ambush. 

The  day  following  this  expedition  Colonel  Singleton, 
who  had  been  secretly  negotiating  with  the  Mormons, 
submitted  to  the  men  the  terms  which  the  Mormons  of- 
fered. They  were  indignantly  and  unanimously  rejected. 
Colonel  Singleton  then  made  a  little  speech,  telling  the 
men  that,  in  his  opinion,  men  who  rushed  into  a  situation 
of  this  kind  hastily,  and  without  due  consideration,  were 
"damn  fools." 

Carlin  replied  that,  in  his  opinion,  men  who  delib- 
erated too  long  and  negotiated  too  much  were  "damn 
cowards."  This  reply  was  loudly  cheered.  Whereupon 
Colonel  Singleton  resigned  the  command. 

Colonel  Brockman,  who  was  appointed  by  Carlin  to 
take  Colonel  Singleton's  place,  ordered  an  immediate  ad- 
vance toward  Nauvoo.  On  October  10,  the  whole  force, 
numbering  about  eight  hundred  men,  took  up  the  line 
of  march,  and  encamped  again  within  sight  of  the 
"Temple." 

There  were  no  telegraph  wires  in  the  county  at  this 
time,  but  fast  horses  bore  the  news,  and  re-enforcements 
came  to  the  posse,  as  well  as  a  committee  from  Quincy 
purposing  to  arrange  a  compromise.  To  this  committee 
the  officers  of  the  force  gave  their  ultimatum  as  to  terms, 
and  the  committee  submitted  these  to  the  Nauvoo  authori- 
ties. They  made  no  reply  whatever,  so  the  posse  moved 
toward  the  city. 

On  October  12,  under  cover  of  a  flag  of  truce,  a 
demand  for  surrender  was  sent  to  Major  Clifford,  who 
had  succeeded  Major  Parker  in  command.  He  refused 
the  demand,  and  immediately  preparations  were  made 
to  give  battle. 

The  Mormons  had  laid  mines  along  the  principal 
roads,  made  loopholes  for  firing  in  walls  and  in  bouses, 
and  bad  thrown  up  breastworks  at  various  points.  Both 
sides  had  several  pieces  of  artillery  of  small  caliber. 

Truth  to  tell,  the  deputy  sheriff's  men  were  spoiling 
for  a  fight  The  fact  that  the  governor's  envoy,  with  a 
force  of  militia,  was  inside  the  city  for  the  purpose  of 
preventing  the  approach  of  the  county  officer*  might  have 
seemed  an  obstacle  to  most  men,  hut  not  to  Carlin  and 
Colonel  Brockman. 

They  ordered  up  the  cannon,  and  commanded  the 
gunners  to  open  fire  at  once.  For  a  little  over  an  hour, 


or  until  the  cannon  balls  were  all  used,  the  brick  and 
plaster,  wood  and  stone  of  the  houses  of  Nauvoo  were 
scattered  at  a  rapid  rate. 

We,  at  home,  could  hear  the  sound  of  the  firing  of 
the  cannon  distinctly,  and,  as  every  man  and  boy  belong- 
ing to  us  was  in  the  fray,  we  spent  some  anxious  mo- 
ments. 

Mr.  Gregg  says  in  his  history:  "The  surgeons  of 
Colonel  Brockman's  force  reported  twelve  men  wounded 
as  •  result  of  the  conflict  One  of  the  wounded  men 
died  ten  hours  later,  but  all  the  others  recovered.  Of 
the  loss  on  the  other  side,  no  certain  account  was  ever 
obtained." 

This,  the  only  real  battle  of  the  Mormon  "war," 
brought  matters  to  a  crisis.  A  large  deputation  from 
Quincy  joined  the  little  army  with  proposals  for  media- 
tion. They  worked  hard,  and  after  several  days  of  cor- 
respondence and  consultation  arranged  a  treaty  which 
was  agreed  upon  by  representatives  of  both  parties. 

By  the  terms  of  this  treaty,  the  Mormons  agreed  to 
surrender  the  ci.ty,  and  to  leave  the  state  as  soon  as  they 
could  cross  the  river.  They  made  arrangements  imme- 
diately for  doing  this,  and  within  three  days  the  entire 
Mormon  people  had  crossed  into  Iowa.  Tin  Quincy 
committee,  together  with  the  officers  and  men  of  the 
posse,  had  given  a  pledge  to  protect  persons  and  prop- 
erty from  violence,  and  to  guard  and  assist  the  sick  and 
helpless.  This  pledge  was  scrupulously  kept;  neverthe- 
less much  suffering  and  hardship  necessarily  had  to  be 
endured  by  the  Mormons. 

My  eldest  brother  was  sent  into  the  city  with  a  de- 
tnchment  of  men  to  see  that  this  part  of  the  treaty  was 
faithfully  carried  out,  and  he  saw  m.tny  pitiful  sights. 
Many  a  house  and  lot  were  exchanged  for  a  horse  or 
a  yoke  of  oxen.  Sometimes  a  cow  drew  the  wagon  on 
which  the  family's  all  was  loaded,  while  the  family  itself 
trudged  along  beside  it  on  foot.  It  wax  not  hard  to 
realise  that  such  an  outfit  would  never  reach  tin-  western 
border  of  Iowa,  though  its  goal,  with  the  rest  of  the 
caravan,  was  the  far-distant  Salt  Lake  Valley. 

•  The  entire  people  worked  their  way  westward  by 
slow  and  painful  steps.  They  made  two  or  three  tem- 
porary settlements  in  order  to  rest  the  wrnry  and  care 
for  the  sick.  At  these  places  they  built  rude  sh.inties 
for  shelter,  and,  turning  over  the  rich  prairie  soil,  plant- 
id  and  harvested  quickly  maturing  crops.  The  journey 
was  marked  by  suffering,  borne  with  great  fortitude. 
The  people  kept  together  and  plodded  toward  the  setting 
sun  with  a  faithfulness  and  devotion  worthy  of  a  better 
cause. 

Thus  passed  out  of  the  state,  and  out  of  our  lives, 
this  peculiar  people.  Many  pages  have  been  written 
concerning  the  cruelty  of  this  expatriation,  but  how 
malignant  was  this  evil  of  Mortnonism  none  can  realise 
save  those  who  lived  with  it.  There  are  growth*  *n 
dangerous  that  the  surgeon's  knife  is  the  only  cure. 

That  there  were  some  "Saints"  among  them  I  am 
sure,  for  I  knew  them  well ;  that  there  were  many  simple 
folk  who,  in  another  community,  would  have  made  good 
citizens,  I  have  no  doubt.  But  what  can  be  said  in  de- 
fense of  that  long  procession  of  rogues  and  miscreant*, 
the  Mormon  leaders,  who  have  for  so  many  yean  cor- 
rupted and  polluted  the  moral  atmosphere  wherever  thrv 
lived? 

Today  Monnonism  still  grows.  Missionaries  are  ac- 
tive abroad,  and  in  our  own  land  as  well.  Is  not  this 
semi-pagan  delusion,  in  a  sense,  fostered  and  protected 
by  our  government?  May  the  problem  never  become  so 
involved  that  it  can  be  solved  onlv  bv  the  costlv  sacrifice 
of  blood ! 


